Need advice on studio matters. (Making one for own band)

[Kwerty]

Hi.

I've got some questions for those bands who own a studio. Where do you guys recommend to have your own studio at? Shophouses?

Do you guys sound-proof it? I mean for certain cases, sound-proof is very expensive (unless you do the egg carton method which will stink up the place) and if your studio is in the industrial area, I don't think thats necessary? (Or even when you're using 30 watters etc).

I'm actually thinking of renting a place and "building" my own studio, but I'm not sure how much it will cost and etc. I guess the main thing about having own studio is that your drummer can practise all day long (If he's living in HDB) and of course, when band jams you can stay there all you like.

Factors I have considered are like the air-con, monthly bills etc. I'm not sure what procedures or important points to take note off. Maybe you guys can enlighten me in some stuffs? Thank you.

Regards

 

[detroit_red]

I think ah, if your band 4 ppl .. each person fork like close to 500 a month ... no bull ... rent is not cheap, and if you have to soundproof too ...

 

[teraslasch]

I really don't think having a studio for just a band to jam is a practical idea.. unless u guys are making big bucks and you want some private space of your own, if not i don't find it worthy. and soundproofing is damn expensive, lots of jamming studios don't have sound proof haha.. if you guys are rich.. then i got nothing to say.. it is also hard to maintain a studio, be sure you're prepared with knowledge and cash if u really wanna set up a studio

 

[Kwerty]

Alright so basically the bills will kill us.

Don't mind I drift away from the title a little, about drummers. Perhaps our fellow drummers can give me some inputs about practising your daily whacks?

I do play drums but only when I am in school, so it isn't a problem for me. But for my own band's drummer (I'm a guitarist), he lives in a HDB and have problems playing drums. I believe many drummers in SOFT share the same problem? What are your solutions?

I suggested to my band that, drummer + Bassist = find cheap jamming studio and practise on their own. We did try once or twice but stopped afterwards. We tried to persuade my drummer to buy paddings, those with stands and rubber paddings on top. But from what he tells us, it is very different from the original feel and you won't know what you're hitting etc.

Being guitar/bass players, we have the priviledge to tone down our amplifiers and such, so we are quite worried about the drummer part. This is because we want everyone to progress at a constant pace and be better at their part, so it is quite a problem for us.

Can you guys give me some inputs on this? Or how I should advice my drummer? Thank you again.

Regards

 

[mel80]

Use practise pads to work on the basic chops at home and then go to the studio to work on the chops more. Or if he can afford it, get an acoustic kit and muffle it. There are some threads about this in the drums section. Go read them

 

[Kwerty]

@mel80

Yeah thanks for the advice. Actually the drummer have some cash flow problems so it is a problem to afford an acoustic kit and put paddings on top. Additionally, he says that the feel is different.

Do you have any cheap lobangs etc? Oh and not to forget, are there smaller sized drums around? I'm not really a drummer so yeah. This is because his room's size and free space's quite limited...

And suggestions you can provide me with? Or is the acoustic kit + paddings the best solution... Thanks again.

 

[mikemann]

Yeah thanks for the advice. Actually the drummer have some cash flow problems so it is a problem to afford an acoustic kit and put paddings on top. Additionally, he says that the feel is different.

Sound more like a personal problem. Like we say, if there is a will, there is a way. Making excuses could be just pushing off the commitment.

Maybe you should look at a different perspective, how do you or your band feel about your drummer? Is he poor, average or good to you. If he is poor and 1/2 yr down the road, still the same, means he is not commited enough to go put in extra efforts to become better.

There are plenty of ways, take courses, you get to play drums. Ask studio operators if they got discount for one man drum practise (maybe $5-8 per hour), you get to practise at your own pace and finance capability. Even once a week, should see improvement.

Many more things can be done without actually owning your own drumset. Also starter sets cost only about $500, with the padding maybe another $100++ or so. So if save up or work a while sure can make it one.

You don't need a $3000 drumset to advance in your drumming skills, it will be lame to be expecting that.

 

[keiith]

+1..

 

[Chan]

My band's drummer has his own kit and all, but for personal practice at midnight all he needs is a practice pad which costs around $20 and a metronome. A lot of the important stuff like the rudiments don't need a full size kit to practice.

Ok la I also agree, the above practice routine I outlined above doesn't involve the feet at all but hey, improving a drummer's hand-to-hand coordination is already 50% of the battle won....

 

[blackductape]

one thing my band did: if you really want an exclusive studio for your band, and one of your members have a spare room esp with aircon (ours don't have aircon, after 3 hours, can die inside), go for it if the family don't mind. but you still got to fork out $$$ for amps, drums, etc if u don't have them... for the matter of soundproofing, its pretty difficult to do.... so what my band do is to avoid playing when u think it disturbs ppl the most such as : when family members are around and after sundown between 7.30pm and 9.00 am (3/4 of my members are in sec sch, so we usually jam like 4.30 to 7pm). so, that's the very very cheapest way to set up ur own studio if you have enough cash to spare..... well, at least it works well for my band for now...

 

[lilrampage]

i think the egg carton thing is quite okay la. ive been to a couple studios whish uses that and they dont stink. plus its cost-effective. just grab a whole stack of empty cartons at night when the egg shop is closed. :wink:

 

[sofyan]

can use electronic drums? u can control amp volumes. not the best but i think its cheaper then soundproofing. but if ur THAT serious i guess then go for it

 

[Kwerty]

@sofyan:

Electronic drums are really expensive man, we're all still poly students. But I think electronic drums are the "cheapest" and best alternative.


Thanks for all your inputs guys.

Regards

 

[mightymouse]

hi kwerty here's what i did before i got a kit (got it during NS, pearl forum....$750 from luther)

: i put up pillows and in the beginning, exclusive practised hand work, made up my own rudiments and just kept trying to go faster on pillows. the thing about playing with pillows where the hands are concerned, ur rudiments and stuff, you dont get the priviledge of "rebound" from a normal acoustic set. its actually a great way to practise with ur stix. after that i basically air drummed, and when i got my kit, it was kinda weird at first, but in abt a 3 days i was comfortably playing.

if ur drummer wants to die die practise on a kit, call boon n book a room only for drum practise, tell them u only want drums practise n they charge abt $10 an hr (i think u can go lower for a less expensive room)

there are many ways around getting a kit, just ask ur drummer to be creative. some methods seems kinda dumb, but hell, they work wonders!!! alternatively, u can check out http://www.tigerbill.com, thats where i learnt most of my drumming. check the forum out too, the drummers there are a gr8 help. there's free lessons (cover almost everything to do with drums.....even detailed ways to improve double bass chops!!!!)

good luck dude!!

 

[mightymouse]

oh n abt the studio thing, maybe if u get a couple of bands, n u guys share the studio u can bring the cost down just an idea.....

 

[Giantballz]

seriously 500 per person? whoa it cant be that expensive then how do the jam studio bosses survive?

 

[somebody]

for your drummer, he could ask around friends. make a little weekly trip to a friend's place who has a set there and to practice.
drumming at home is a little tricky.
i myself have a set at home.
got myself a rhythm traveller.
soundproofing = clothes hanging all around + curtains and bed.
helps quite a bit.
also, the latest i'll drum till is 7pm.
yes i agree with mikeman.
if your drummer really wants to improve,
even the practice pads will help.
that's why they were introduced in the first place.
another way for your drummer to improve is also to air-drum.
helps a lot. i do it all the time.
just dun make huge movements when you're in public.
scares the shit out of people.
sometimes musicians want to take a big leap into music by getting high end stuff and working on them.
honestly, this just causes your high end equipment to degrade even faster.
i say, start small.
start humble.
work your way up.
and when you finally get your dream set,
you'll really enjoy playing on it.

so this year,
get ur drummer a set of pads for his birthday.
practice pads.

 

[metafunk]

Hmmm... Howabt gettin a room at a CC? I noe afew bands who have their studio there and all they gotta do in return is to play for their functions, Which is not bad either cause u get to use their function as a practice gig.